Car accident in New York leads to arrest

A 32-year-old man is under arrest on Long Island following a serious car accident that resulted in the death of his passenger, according to local law enforcement sources. New York police arrested the man after the early morning car accident on May 31 near West 54th St. He has been charged and is awaiting trial as of this report. 

The accident report states that the driver apparently lost control of his vehicle while speeding north on Sixth Ave around 3:40 a.m. The vehicle left the road and mounted the sidewalk, striking a fire hydrant with enough force to nearly tear the vehicle in half. The hydrant was actually in the middle of the car when first responders arrived. 

A 33-year-old passenger in the vehicle was rushed to a local hospital with critical injuries where he was later pronounced dead. The driver, who was in serious but stable condition, was also taken to a hospital. Police believe he was drunk at the time of the crash. As of this report, he has been charged with vehicular manslaughter. Police say further charges may be pending. 

A drunk driving car accident is, in some ways, even more tragic than another type of car accident because of how preventable it is. It seems likely that New York authorities will charge this individual with further crimes as the investigation proceeds. Separate from the criminal proceedings, the family of the deceased passenger will have the ability to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver in civil court.

Source: New York Daily News, “Long Island man cuffed in Midtown DUI wreck that killed passenger“, Kerry Burke, Lauren Klose, Thomas Tracy, Graham Rayman, June 1, 2016